theatre KAPOW takes a deep and serious breath as its 16th season continues with the New Hampshire premiere of On the Exhale by Martín Zimmerman.

When a senseless act of violence changes her life forever, a liberal college professor finds herself inexplicably drawn to the very weapon used to perpetrate the crime--and to the irresistible feeling of power that comes from holding life and death in her hands. Peering down the barrel of a uniquely American crisis, she begins to suspect that when it comes to gun violence, we're all part of the problem. This is the New Hampshire premiere of Martín Zimmerman's gripping play, which draws you into the white-hot center of our country's most urgent debate.

“On the Exhale is incredibly bold, clever, and superiorly written,” said director Samantha Tella, “it is a captivating exploration of the unexpectedly dark thoughts a person could have after experiencing immense tragedy, but before grief sets in.” Tella, whose previous work with theatre KAPOW was the company’s hilarious adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (a production that will be on stage at the BNH Stage later this spring), was drawn to this script in particular because of the way Zimmerman has written it in the second person. “The sole character is in a subliminal state and speaks directly to the audience, so that we get to ask ourselves, ‘What if this happened to me?’ A question that allows us to bypass our political stances and connect to the human side of one of our country's most hotly debated issues.”

On the Exhale features NH Theatre Award-winning actress and tKAPOW co-founder Carey Cahoon. The show is directed by Samantha Tella and stage managed by Samantha Griffin. Longtime tKAPOW collaborator Tayva Young will be providing the lighting design.